


Fish Out of Water

by imthepunchlord



Category: Naruto
Genre: Fluff and Humor, Gen, Kisame is a bad influence, little Sakura goes on an adventure, pre Akatsuki, pretty much invites herself along, the grump and the kid
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-19
Updated: 2018-11-14
Packaged: 2019-07-14 05:41:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16034138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imthepunchlord/pseuds/imthepunchlord
Summary: Life as a missing nin is hard enough, and it gets all the harder when you throw a brat in.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a really random thought I had that just rolled out into life.

In his life, Kisame has come to learn many things; even at this point of him being lost, wandering aimlessly in trying to find his sense of purpose; he knows enough to help him get by, to survive and to stay on top. Aside from his lack of path, there was little that unnerved him. So when he stopped, catching a whiff of blood and smoke, he instinctively knew what that was.

Kisame tilted his head up to better catch the thick smell, unable to help but press his tongue to the back of his teeth. On his shoulder, Samehada thrummed, stirring with anticipation and hunger. Echoing the blade for a desire of a good fight and curious himself, Kisame turned, heading for the source. Smoke and blood meant a battle, and a potential fight for him and Samehada to enjoy. It also meant supplies - things the dead won’t have any use for anymore, but a struggling missing nin like him could make use of.

Excited and eager, Kisame sped up, racing towards it and stopped just at the edge of it. His smile fell away as he stared down at a now empty battlefield, the assailants gone, bodies lay still on the ground, and the caravans they escorted broken or thrown over.

“We missed it,” Kisame grumbled, feeling Samehada’s annoyance. He sighed, mumbling, “They’ll be other battles,” and dropped down to scavenge what was left behind, if anything. Unsurprisingly, any coin that could be on someone’s person was long since taken; there were a few handful of weapons that Kisame could take, and nothing else seemed useful enough for him to take.

Coming upon the last caravan, this one curiously left untouched in comparison to the others, Kisame lifted it up, expecting to see crates of whatever this group was traveling with, possibly something missed and forgotten.

He didn’t expected to see a small, pink haired child staring up at him with her big green eyes. Kisame stared back, jaw going a little slack as he eyed her hair.

In his stupor, he didn’t expect her attack.

The child flung mud right at his face, making the missing nin squawk in surprise.

“Hey!” he growled, wiping it away, blinking in time to see her rushing away.

Naturally, his body followed to pursue, to hunt, and to catch.

Easily, he caught up to the child, grabbing her by the back of her shirt and hauling her up, keeping her a slight distance from him as she swung her little fists and kicked out. When she tired out, he said, flashing his pointed teeth, “That wasn’t very nice.”

He swore he could hear her gulp as she stared at his teeth, then at him. Despite her tremble, she glared at him, trying to put on a brave face. She looked as mighty as a kitten.

“Whatcha doing back there, Squirt?” he asked.

“What are you doing back there?” she shot back.

“I’m asking the questions here,” he snapped, giving her a little shake.

She pursed her lips, looking uneasy and affronted before the former won out the longer he stared at her with his pale eyes. Licking her lips, she answered softly, “I was traveling with my aunt and uncle, and we were attacked…”

“And how did you escape?”

“I hid.”

“...That’s it?”

She nodded.

He scoffed, lowering the kid and dropping her to the ground, watching her fall back on her butt. She’s lucky she got attacked by idiots. He turned, heading back to the caravan she hid under, checking it one more time for any valuables. He ignored the kid as she trailed behind him, watching him as he looked through the merchants’ things. She pressed close to a tree when he released a frustrated growl when he didn’t find anything he wanted, and watched as he stood and walked off, grumbling under his breath.

For a moment, she watched him go, then glanced around, shuddering when she saw bodies lying on the ground, not moving. After a moment of contemplation, she hurried after the towering fish man, keeping a good distance away from him. As scary as he was, the girl deemed that he was better than the bodies that were left behind. Those scared her far more.

 

* * *

 

It's come to Kisame’s attention that he was being followed.

He didn’t like being followed. Especially by someone so loud. He could hear every step she took, every _crunch_ of a leaf, every _squish_ of damp earth she stepped on. And breathing, he heard every breath she took. At this rate, the kid was going to give his presence away.

Ignoring the amusement rolling off of Samehada, Kisame whipped around, snapping, “Hey! If you're going to follow me, at least be damn quiet about it!”

The girl jumped, pressing herself close to a tree and peering at him around it. She mumbled something in reply. Huffing, Kisame drew near, gazing down at her, arms crossed. “What was that?”

“I was being quiet.”

“...You call that quiet? I could hear you from all the way over there.”

She furrowed her brow at him.

“Listen to me walk, Squirt.” Kisame took a few paces around her, not a sound to made as he walked on the same leaves and soil. Pointed down to it, “Now you walk.”

_Squish, squish, crunch, crunch, squish,_

“See?” he said as she blinked in surprise. “You’re going to give me away walking around like that.”

She looked up at him, green eyes bright and curious. “How do you walk quietly like that?”

“I’m a shinobi,” he said, like that had all the answers.

She gave such a flat look and crossed her arms right back at him, like she was scolding him for such an answer.

Brow twitching, Kisame pointed a finger down at her, demanding, “Why are you even following me?”

“Because everyone is…” the girl trailed, looking down, biting her lip uncomfortably.

Kisame crouched down, flashing his fangs at her. “I’m the Monster of the Hidden Mist, Squirt, I’m not a babysitter or your friend.”

She met his pale gaze, her eyes calculating and weary.

A little unnerved to see such a gaze on a kid, Kisame said, “You need to leave me alone, else I’m going to eat you up.”

“If you wanted to you would’ve done so already,” she stated, narrowing her eyes at him. “And in comparison to me traveling alone, by your title and appearance, no one would mess with you, and by extension, me.”

Kisame glared at her. “I'm not an escort.”

“Just until we get close to Konoha!”

“I’m not going to go anywhere near Konoha!”

“If you're a missing nin, that means you have to move around a lot!” she pointed out, “Chances are you'll go by Konoha, or close to it.”

Kisame stood, arms crossed. “I'm not taking you to Konoha.”

“Please?”

“Sorry, Brat, I'm immune to cuteness.” Kisame walked a few steps away, then stopped and turned to point at her. “Don't even think about following me, Brat!”

Before she could even respond to him, he leapt away, going farther and faster than she ever could. There was no way he was going to be stuck with a brat. He had enough to worry about, like himself.

 

* * *

 

An hour later and amusement was rolling off of Samehada in waves.

“Shut up,” Kisame muttered, stopping for a moment to glance back behind him, just to be sure that little brat wasn’t following after him. There was no way that she could with the speed he traveled. She was far behind him, there was no way she could catch up.

But still, he found himself on edge, looking back just to make sure he didn’t see a bit of pink moving along the trees. It was ridiculous, he knows he was fine, and yet, he was still on edge. It felt like the kid was going to pop out at any moment.

Kisame ran his hand through his hair, blowing hair past his pointed teeth. Stupid kid, throwing him off. If that battle was over, no one was supposed to still be alive when he got there. It was easier for everyone if it was like that. Especially if it meant not dealing with a brat who was still alive.

Samehada rumbled in amusement.

“I am not hung up over this!” Kisame snapped over his shoulder, “Brat’s on her own!”

No sooner did those words leave his lips that a shrill scream rang through the forest, making him pause.

His slid the points of his teeth against each other, whipping around and rushing back, heading for that scream. He told himself that it was dishonorable to leave a kid on their own. That not even the most heartless would do so. Hell, he even heard rumors of the demon Zabuza took in a kid. It wasn’t that strange, and it wasn't going to ruin him. He can just grab the kid, drop her off at a random village and go on his way, his conscious cleared.

Coming upon her, Kisame’s pounding heart slowed, an irritation settling on him. The Brat wasn’t in trouble. She just fell down a small ravine and was plucking leaves from her hair.

Kisame glared down at her for giving him a fright. No, not fright. He wasn’t worried. Not at all.

There was a gasp below and Kisame stiffened. He’s been spotted.

“You’re back,” she whispered.

After a second of contemplation, Kisame sighed and dropped down, scooping her up by the back of her shirt, baring his teeth. “You’re loud,” he said.

She wasn’t bothered or insulted though. She flashed him a smile, her eyes gleaming with hope. “Are you going to help me?”

He glared at her, eye twitching a little. “Feh,” he muttered, dropping her and getting up to prowl off. She blinked after him and scrambled to follow, only to slip and slide back down. She repeated, trying to race up the slick surface only to fall and slide back down. Her pout didn’t last long as the grumpy missing nin stomped back down, grabbed her by the back of her shirt, and carrying her out of the ravine, grumbling the whole way. All the while, he wondered just what was he getting into.


	2. Chapter 2

Sakura grunted when she dropped onto the ground, wincing at the growing bruise throbbing on her back. She sat up slowly, her eyes watering. “No crying, Squirt,” the missing nin barked behind her, arms crossed. Sakura sent him a watery pout before she stood on shaky legs, rubbing her arms, trying to soothe the ache. He said that if she was going to follow him, she was going to have to learn to travel quietly because he wasn’t going to carry her at all. And learning to walk on trees was apparently the first step in learning to be quiet.

 

In Sakura's opinion, learning to walk on a tree was a weird way to learn how to be quiet. How it could was beyond Sakura, but he wasn’t going to let up till she got this down. He was her key home; meeting up to his demands was a must. But this, what she was to do…

 

Sakura glared up at the tree, grimacing. If she's not mistaken, this was something not even a kid her age should be learning to do yet. The academy didn’t accept students till seven, and even then, there wasn't immediate chakra control training like this. This was above her age, this was—

 

“Pool the chakra at your feet,” Kisame said, giving Sakura a start. She watched as he stepped past her and walked straight up the tree. Sakura gasped as she watched him go up the tree like he was walking on the ground. Kisame stopped, glancing down at her from over his shoulder. He flashed a toothy smile, amused at her awe for such a simple technique. He continued, “Not too much, and not too little. You’ll either slip, or break the tree. In your case, you’ll slip.”

 

She narrowed her eyes as Kisame kept walking, sitting down on a high branch. “We can move on when you get this down, Squirt.”

 

Sakura stood, eyeing the tree and thinking of his words. She knew about chakra, reading up on them a little, and having a fair idea of what it is. What she didn't know was how to direct and control it. The books and Kisame both just said where to direct it, but neither on how. She voiced this, question hanging in the air, watching the fish man huff.

 

“I don’t know, just do it.”

 

She gave him a dry look.

 

“I'm not the teaching type, ok! Don't know how else to explain it, just do it.”

 

What a helpful missing nin she came across.

 

“Do I have to learn this?” she whined loudly.

 

He pointed a clawed finger at her, snapping, “I'm not going to have you give my position away, Squirt! You have to get this down to learn how to walk quietly.”

 

She pursed her lips, staring at the tree, frustrated and fed up. She didn’t get it. She didn’t know how to simply ‘do it’. It was complex, she knew this. Everything ninja related was complex. There was never anything so simple. Not too much, not too little he said. But how? How to summon chakra? How to do that? Sakura lifted her foot, setting it on the bark, frowning as she let her foot sit there.

 

Is it really so simple?

 

That easy as just walking up a tree?

 

She looked up, taking in her path up the tree. Maybe it was that simple, that it was just like walking, only up a tree with a lot of focus and concentration to make sure she didn’t fall. With narrowed eyes, Sakura lifted that other foot up and set it on the tree. For a second, she was vertical to the ground, both feet on the tree. When the fact clicked, she felt a slight slip under her sandals and quickly focused again, starting to move up the tree. Eyes now set to the surprised and pleased nin, Sakura now ran up the tree, getting closer and closer to her target. She almost reached him when in her excitement and rush, she slipped.

 

Before she could register her fall, a clawed hand grabbed her by the back of her shirt, lifting her up to be eye to eye with the fish man.

 

“I did it!” she proclaimed, green eyes bright. “Did you see? I did it! I ran up a tree!”

 

“I saw, Squirt.” She was dropped on the branch, sucking in a breath when she looked down, noting how high up they were. Kisame didn’t catch onto her fear, not minding the height. “That’s some good chakra control, Squirt.”

 

Clutching the branch, she turned her gaze up, blinking. “Chakra control?” she parroted. “I’m good at it?”

 

“Yeah, that’s impressive.” He grinned toothily. “That’ll help us leaving sooner. Now just do what you did to walk quietly. Be like… I don’t know, near weightless when walking? Just so you don’t make a sound while walking.” At Sakura’s frown, Kisame snapped again, “I’m not the teaching type!”

 

“I noticed.”

 

“Watch it, Kid.”

 

Sakura looked down, not moving an inch.

 

Kisame crossed his arms. “What?”

 

“Can you help me down?”

 

“You got yourself up, you can get yourself down.”

 

Sakura grimaced at him, then stood with a wobble. She immediately latched onto Kisame, ignoring his scowl as she walked over him to the main tree. She stared down the tree, her head now starting to pound the longer she stared down the tree. Ignoring the faint throb, she awkwardly and warily started to make her way down the tree. She only made it a few steps when she lost touch with the tree.

 

She was grabbed before she fell to the ground, and suddenly tired, Sakura rubbed her eyes, wincing at the ache in her head.

 

“Not a lot of chakra, huh?” Kisame noted.

 

Sakura only glanced at him.

 

“Feh. We’ll work on it more later.” She was practically tossed onto his shoulder and Kisame stood, rushing off. Not caring if she was being carried like a sack of potatoes, Sakura relaxed on Kisame’s shoulder, feeling her eyes grow heavy. Her eyes fell closed as she dozed off, her exhaustion pulling her away from consciousness.

 

When Kisame stopped, she was fast asleep, drooling on his shoulder, much to the missing nin’s annoyance and Samehada’s amusement.  

 

* * *

 

 

Sakura woke to the smell of smoke, fish, and a hiss of fire.

 

She cracked her eyes open, seeing Kisame’s back to her, facing a small fire. She sat up, rubbing her face, trying to ease away the sleep that clung to her. With a yawn, she crawled to his side, plopping down beside him. She made a face at the big fish he had over the fire.

 

“Hey, Squirt. Ready for dinner?” He paused at the face she made. “What?”

 

“It’s staring at me,” she said.

 

“It's not going to come back to life and bite you,” Kisame sneered.

 

Sakura shook her head.

 

“Well, this is dinner, all I have to eat. You can eat or starve.”

 

“Can I have a piece that isn’t its face?”

 

“...I’m really tempted to give you the head now.”

 

Sakura stared up at him in horror, and the missing nin burst out in laughter. He relented though, cutting off a chunk from the side and dropping it on a plate, handing it to her, warning her to watch out for bones. As Sakura eyed her chunk, Kisame plucked off the steam fish, eagerly starting on that head.

 

Sakura quickly turned away, not in the mood to see the missing nin eat a fish’s face. She had a feeling he decided to start on that on purpose just to gross her out.

 

She wandered away, sitting on the other side of a tree so she won’t get to see Kisame eat, starting to nibble on her own portion. She chewed carefully, mindful of bones while she stared up at the surrounding trees. She finished her meal and set her plate down, thinking back to Kisame’s comment about her chakra.

 

After a moment, she set her plate down and started up the tree, continuing to practice, even trying walking down the tree.

 

Determined and eager, she was able to walk up and down three more trees before she couldn’t do it anymore, landing in Kisame’s arms, feeling tired.

 

She was dropped by the campfire, another chunk of fish shoved into her hands. Blinking at it tiredly, she started to nibble on the chunk, leaning over till she was against Kisame’s leg. The missing nin pause for a moment, eyeballing the pink haired child, before letting out a grunt and continuing his meal.

 

Sakura went right to bed after dinner.  


	3. Chapter 3

She wasn’t as quiet as Kisame would’ve liked. He could still hear the soft crunches of the leaves and grass beneath her feet, and could still hear every shuffle she made. But, he could admit, she was quieter than before. It would be good enough - easily missed if a ninja didn’t pay close enough attention. It would have to do. This was good enough. Kisame was content enough with this. Should be smooth travels henceforth.

 

Or so he would’ve liked to think.

 

But there came a second issue, one Kisame didn’t know what to do with.

 

“Are we there yet?”

 

“No,” Kisame growled.

 

“I’m tired,” she declared, stopping to slouch against a tree. “And my feet hurt. And my head hurts.”

 

He spared a glance over his shoulder, warning, “I’m not carrying you, Squirt.”  

 

She pouted, and he heard her grumble, “You’re a meanie.”

 

Kisame rolled his eyes, finding himself way too tempted to respond with a jab of his own. He shoved the urge back. He was the Monster of the Hidden Mist; he was feared, he was dangerous, and he wasn't going to fall into some childish spat with a kid. Not worth his time or energy.

 

He paused when he heard a _plop_ behind him, looking back to see the kid on the ground, a pout on her lips.

 

“Kid,” he growled.

 

“I'm tired,” she said again.

 

“So?”

 

“So, how about a break?”

 

“No.”

 

She gave him a flat stare, crossing her arms as she said, “I'm taking a break.”

 

“Fine by me,” he answered, walking right along and not stopping. He could feel a flicker of alarm behind him, well aware of how torn she was. Stop and rest by herself, or soldier on and keep following him. Seconds ticked on as Kisame continued, lips starting to twitch up at stubborness of the kid. She held out till he was almost out of sight and with no guarantee that he would wait or return for her, he heard a stumbling patter of feet chasing after him, moving quickly to catch up.

 

He glanced down as she came up beside him, breathing a little hard, shooting him a nasty look. He gave her a toothy smile, not bothered at all by the sour attitude.

 

In spite of this, her stubbornness remained. With arms crossed, she said, “We should take a break.”

 

“I don’t need a break.”

 

“ _I_ need a break. You’re a ninja, I’m just a kid that has only read books on ninjas—”

 

“You can now walk up a freaking tree, Kid.”

 

“—and isn’t one, so I need a break, Fishy.”

 

Kisame stopped, feeling another laugh roll off Samehada. “What did you just call me?” he growled low, narrowing pale eyes at her.

 

Sakura faltered for a quick second before narrowing her green eyes back at him, arms still crossed. Aside from a nervous quiver in her shoulders, she told him with a firm voice, “I can’t keep going like this. If you’re going to travel with a kid, you have to acim… accom…” She made a frustrated noise, struggling to grasp the big word she remembered but couldn’t seem to voice. She settled with, “You have to factor this in. It's not just you, I’m here too and I can’t do what you do.”

 

He glared down at her.

 

Sakura stared back at him, firm.

 

“How old are you again?” he asked.

 

“Five.”

 

“You’re too damn smart to be five years old.”

 

She shrugged, continuing to stare up at him. He blew air past his pointed teeth, huffing. “Fine,” he said, “we’ll take a _small_ break.”

 

She beamed.

 

“You got ten minutes to feel recharged.”

 

She gasped. “That’s not long enough!”

 

“I said small break, Squirt. Now get resting!”

 

With a grumble about fish men, she stomped to a tree, slumping right against it with a sigh. Sourly, she set her feet on a root that was hanging on the ground, keeping her feet elevated during her rest. Shaking his head, Kisame prowled off, too restless to take a break and decided to seek out some food.

 

When the break was over and they were off once more, Sakura’s grumbles were interrupted when Kisame dropped a berry in her hand. Curious, she ate it, only for her face to quickly contort. “This tastes awful,” she said, immediately taking it out of her mouth.

 

“Good, that means its good for you.”

 

“Why is everything that’s good for you tastes awful?”

 

“Cause life is hard. It's an early lesson for you squirts.”

 

“I don’t want to eat it.”

 

“Too bad, that’s dinner tonight. Have it or starve.”

 

She made a face at him, then turned her glare to the berry that dared taste so bad. It was like it made the greatest offense in the whole entire universe to sour her taste buds with its bitterness. Kisame snickered quietly, looking forward as he popped bitter berries into his mouth.

 

Little moments like these were (debatably) almost worth the trouble.

 

Almost.

 

* * *

 

Kisame found there were big drawbacks to traveling with a kid.

 

The biggest drawback from traveling with a kid? The lack of fear.

 It was the first little inn they came across on the road, a good distance away from another village, one Kisame was still debating if they should visit or not. In here, Sakura sat right at his side, evidently deeming that he was far safer than any of the other visiting travelers. And in her small hands, she sipped a small cup of cider that the gushing owner was more than happy to give, utterly charmed by the cute girl that requested it. That bubbliness burst when she saw Sakura come to Kisame’s side, and what was once unease faltered into a curious confusion.

 

 A curious confusion that spread to the rest of the inn. Kisame could _feel_ every single stare directed at the eyesore that was this duo. He clacked his teeth in agitation, scraping the points across each other. He was a missing nin. Attention was the last thing he needed or wanted, and it was hard enough with his heritage.

 

 And now add the small pink haired squirt that glued herself to his side, they were easily a mismatched eyesore.

 

He took a long drink, pale eyes sliding over the patrons with a calculating gaze. There was always a possibility that one of them could be a ninja in disguise. The best of the shinobi looked the most natural, being what people expected to see. Merchants, travelers, families. Though there were some shinobi that were content just sitting out in the open, obvious in what they were. Those were the ones Kisame sought for, they weren't on a stealth mission, just passing through. Those Kisame could point this kid at, they escort this squirt back home, take a load off Kisame and leave him to continue in peace.

 

Ideally.

 

But if there were other nin to choose from, he’d have to choose carefully, look for an ally of Konoha. There were a lot of nins that would love to be harsh on a kid from an enemy. And even then, Kisame was aware that there were some allies that couldn’t be entirely trusted either. He believes Suna, despite being an ally of Konoha, had a developing grudge that was getting worse over the years.

 

He set his drink down, running his tongue along the back of his teeth, a little miffed that no one stood out to him to pass his ward onto, Kisame blinked when there was a nudge at his side. He looked down, seeing Sakura peering up, waving her hand down. Lips twitching, he bent down a little closer to her level. Sakura loudly whispered, “People are staring at you.”

 

He snorted. “They’re staring at you, Squirt.”

 

“Nuh uh, you, cause you’re a weird fish man.”

 

“Nope. It’s you, the pink-haired kid with the fish man.”

 

She gave him a look. “I am normal in comparison to you.”

 

“I don’t know about that.”

 

“You have scales for skin!” she pointed out, jabbing a finger at his wrist.

 

“And you have pink hair,” he returned, lips curling up into a toothy smile. “Where the hell does that even come from?”

 

“My poppy,” she declared proudly, puffing up her chest.

 

Kisame though just stared, brow raised high. “Your father has pink hair.”

 

“Yes. Mommy said he’s a star child.”

 

“Makes sense. You are out of this world.”

 

Sakura puffed up her cheeks. “I’m normaler than you!”

 

“Normaler, is that even a word?”

 

“Still!”

 

“You’re both an eyesore!” someone called out.

 

Kisame sharply looked around, pale eyes seeking out who dared call out the truth. Before he could move to scare off the hidden offender, Sakura stood up, green eyes sharp as she snapped, “Who said that?!”

 

She stood on her seat, hands on her hips, cheeks puffed up with her ire; she looked as fierce as a kitten.

 

Kisame couldn’t help himself, snickering at her “angry” display. Which turned that angry stare at him, making him laugh harder. It was such a bizarre situation, he concluded. Perhaps he was snapping at the oddity that they were. Perhaps he was coping with it.

 

He can say, it's been a long time since he’s laughed like this.

 

It feels nice.


	4. Chapter 4

That night in the inn Kisame learned that kids were rude. 

 

He was sleeping contently in his bed, for once relaxed and at ease. While the kid drew attention, her presence did take away some of the hostility and weariness that usually came with him. Not that it wasn’t there, but it was less tense than what he was used to. It was enough to relax Kisame a bit, to be at ease in his room, and even sleep a little deep. He only woke a little when he heard Sakura shift and squirm in her own bed, but fell back asleep soon after he was aware that it was just her. 

 

He was awake fully when a finger shoved at his cheek. 

 

He cracked one angry, tired pale eye open, glaring at Sakura as she peered over the edge of the bed, her eyes big and nervous. 

 

“What,” he growled. 

 

“I had a nightmare,” she whispered, like talking loudly was going to summon whatever monster she saw in her sleep. 

 

“That's too bad,” he mumbled, pulling his pillow close, ready to fall back asleep. Only that finger came back with fury, jabbing his cheek again. He snapped his teeth in irritation and that finger wisely jerked back. “Kid,” he growled.

 

“I had a nightmare,” she repeated.

 

“What do you want me to do about it?”

 

“...Can I sleep with you?” she asked.

 

Kisame gave her a long, hard stare. He flopped over on the bed, back facing her. “No.” 

 

“But, Kisame!” she protested, moving to climb onto the bed. But when the bed dipped under, Kisame came to life, he rose up, grabbing her by the back of her shirt. With his long arm, he half dropped, half tossed her onto her own bed. Sakura sat up as Kisame laid back down. “It was a scary dream,” she said. 

 

He gave a loud, frustrated sigh. “I don’t know what you expect me to do - you're not getting into my bed. It's just a dream, not real. Try to go back asleep, you'll be there in the morning.”

 

“But—”

 

“Ok. How about this? If you wake from a nightmare, grab your pillow and slam it against that spook. Then you'll get a blow in.” 

 

“Ok,” she whispered. Kisame heard her shift on the bed. “Night?” 

 

Kisame closes his eyes, not answering.

  
  


Kisame woke again, barely ten minutes later, to a bounce in his bed and a hand patting his head. His claws grabbed that tiny hand, holding it still. “Kid,” he growled. 

 

“Something’s off,” Sakura whispered, trembling in his hold. Kisame gave a start, blinking his eyes rapidly as he looked around the room. Nothing stood out to him as off, nothing to be startled about. He almost growled back at the kid to go to bed, when he heard a creak. 

 

Pale eyes snapped to the door, his ears straining to hear past Sakura’s nervous breathing. There, he could hear the faintest shuffle, a small few in the room, thinking he wouldn’t hear them past Sakura. 

 

His lips pulled back in an amused sneer. 

 

The fool. 

 

He reacted quickly, throwing his blanket over Sakura and leaping up, startling their assailant. He shoved them into the hall, closing the door behind him. He grinned toothily as he watched his prey quiver in front of him, regret bright in their eyes. 

 

“Sorry I have to take this outside,” he said, laying Samehada over his shoulder. “But there was a child present.” 

 

There wasn’t even a chance to scream. 

 

Not that that didn’t stop Sakura being nervous, hiding under the blanket Kisame had tossed over her head. She peeked out every few seconds, half expecting their attacker to jump out, shouting “Boo!” with a weapon ready. Seconds ticked on though with him never appearing. She felt a flash of fear when the door opened, only to be filled with relief as Kisame prowled in, quickly closing the door behind him and dropping face down on what used to be her bed, Samehada rattling from where he left it against the wall. 

 

“Are the bad men gone?” she whispered.

 

Kisame grunted, not turning to her and just laying still on the bed. 

 

Still weary, Sakura cocooned herself in the sheets, pressing her back to the bed frame, keeping a lookout. Minutes dwindled on as Sakura kept watch, her eyes slowly growing heavier and heavier. With Kisame’s deep breathing, Sakura fell into a lull, her eyes falling closed while she dropped down on the bed, finally asleep. 

 

She woke again hours later, blinking sleepily on Kisame’s shoulder, looking out to see the inn getting smaller and smaller. With a small sound, she shifted on his shoulder, sighing and mumbling, “I’m going to miss beds.” Kisame answered with a snort as she fell back asleep. 


	5. Chapter 5

“Why did you decide to be a shinobi?” 

 

Kisame glanced up, meeting a curious, innocent gaze as Sakura peered up at him. Set before her were a variety of flowers and leaves that she was shaping into a flower crown, one he was suspecting she was going to gift to him. Kisame was already working out silently how to refuse it. 

 

Running his tongue along the back of his teeth, Kisame answered, “It was expected of me to become a shinobi.” 

 

“Expected?” she repeated, sounding surprised. 

 

He pointed to himself, revealing, “I’m a Hoshigaki. That’s a pretty big clan in Kiri. It was expected that all children in that clan would become shinobi.” 

 

Sakura made a face. “No wonder you left,” she murmured, going back to her flowers. 

 

“Oh?” Kisame prompted. 

 

“You were forced to be one, didn’t  _ want  _ to be one. It's no good if you’re forced to be one if you didn’t want to.” 

 

“Sure,” Kisame agreed, they’ll go with that on why he left. 

 

“I want to be a ninja when I grow up,” Sakura said. “I’m already on the way!” She held up for forming flower crown, beaming. 

 

Kisame raised a brow. “By making a flower crown?” 

 

“It's more than just a flower crown,” Sakura huffed, puffing out her cheeks. “Its has poisonous plants that I can use.” At Kisame’s blink, Sakura pointed out, “These are the leaves of the belladonna. And that’s a lot of poppy. And—”

 

Kisame pulled that developing crown away, wondering aloud, “And how do you know this?” 

 

“Future kunoichis are taught this,” Sakura answered. “Through flower crowns, we learn about flowers and plants, what’s poisonous, what can be used medically.” 

 

“...How old are you again?” 

 

She held up four fingers. 

 

“I shouldn’t be surprised,” Kisame said to himself, “Konoha’s a shinobi village after all…” 

 

Sakura peered at him curiously but Kisame just handed the crown back to her, not answering. He lent back against a tree, releasing a breath as he relaxed against the bark. Sakura turned back to her flower crown, humming some odd tune Kisame never heard before as the morning dwindled to the afternoon, both travelers enjoying this relaxing break. 

 

“Done!” Sakura declared, getting up and ready to put the crown on Kisame’s head. 

 

He quickly blurted out, “You’re going to mess up my hair.”

 

She faltered, giving him an unimpressed pout. “You hardly have hair.” 

 

“I too have hair! See!” He pointed to the top of his head. 

 

“That’s more like fuzz.”

 

Rolling his eyes, Kisame plucked the crown out of her hands, dropping it on her head. “How about you keep it. You can trick enemies with your cuteness then poison them when they least expect it.” 

 

Sakura adjusted the crown on her head, considering it. She thought back to the caravan, to that attack. She thought about the what if one of the men had tried to grab her, thinking of the what if she had been taken. She thought back to the inn, the bad men that Kisame scared away. There always was that what if, wasn’t there?

 

“Ok,” she mumbled. She’ll keep it and use it, just in case.

 

* * *

 

When they reached a village, it was only then would Kisame allow her to sit on his shoulders. His declaration for it was that “it was too much trouble trying to keep track of someone so small”. On his shoulders, they were an odd sight to every villager they passed, a frightening looking fish man with a pink haired child on his shoulders, her hands loosely set around his neck. They easily ignored those baffled stares, Kisame keeping a lookout while Sakura soaked in the sight of the village with curious glee. 

 

This was the third village she’s ever been to, the first being her home and then her uncle and aunt’s. This one was much bigger than her uncle and aunt’s, but smaller than Konoha. 

 

While Sakura looked around with wonderment, Kisame was on guard, not liking some of the stares that followed them. They left him on edge. Those stares promised trouble, and while Kisame wouldn’t mind trouble (Samehada was vibrating in anticipation), there was a brat on his shoulders that didn’t need that trouble. 

 

A brat that made him stiffen when she released a gasp, and leaned a little too far back on his shoulder. 

 

“Careful,” he growled, pulling at her leg before she off. He looked around, searching for danger. 

 

“Bookstore,” she whispered. “There’s a bookstore.”

 

Kisame looked to his right, settling his gaze on the very store that Sakura had her sights on. He blinked at it consideringly, lips curling up. “You want to check it out?” he asked. 

 

Sakura squirmed on his shoulders, coming up to lay over his head, meeting his pale eyes as she peered down at him, casting a pink curtain in front of him. “Really?” she asked, voice tight with hope and excitement. 

 

“Sure, I think that’s a great idea. There’s something I need to do here so I think it’d be good for you to spend a while in there.” 

 

She squealed, giving his head a hug, startling the missing nin. 

 

He plucked her off with a grumble and dropped her down in front of the bookstore, walking away with a wave as Sakura dashed inside. 

 

Across the street, many shadows followed the missing nin, their hands going to their hidden weapons. Except for one, lingering behind, eyes set to the bookstore a little child was left in. 


	6. Chapter 6

Sakura glided along the floor, green eyes sliding over each and over cover with her hand trailing behind, touching each spine to get a feel of them. It was something she always like to do, to feel the books, to see what they were made out of. No two books were made out of the same material. Some were stiff and hard, some more rough with a slight softness to the surface, some were leather, and some more flexible. It was a touch of personality that each had. 

 

The font on the spines added to it too, the curves of one on cursive, or the heavy font often placed on big, heavy books. She liked seeing the difference in books, and these differences helped her find the topics she wanted to find. 

 

And a few she was able to find, one book on flowers and plants called  _ Flowers: Lovelies or Deadlies _ , a book for ouchies called  _ Handling Dreaded and Deadly Boos Boos.  _ Now she just needed one about chakra. Kisame mentioned it a few times and she wanted to look in chakra control more since he wasn’t the best at explaining stuff. 

 

As she made her way down the small hall of books, she didn’t notice the new arrival in the book store, or was aware of their eyes locking onto her. She didn’t see that giddy cruel smile, oblivious in her search for her desired topic. She did notice when she turned, bumping into someone’s leg. 

 

“Sorry,” she apologized automatically, looking up to see a man smiling down at her. Sakura clutched her books to her chest, blinking up at him with big, surprised eyes. 

 

“Oh, its ok,” the man said softly, bending down to be closer to her, watching as Sakura backed up a few steps. “That’s a lot of books to carry.”

 

She had only two books. 

 

“Do you need some help?”

 

“No thank you,” she said. 

 

“I don’t mind.” Hands reached for her and Sakura took a few steps back. 

 

“I do,” she said firmly. 

 

The man paused, blinking in surprise before he narrowed his eyes. “Little girl,” he started, his voice laced with a warning. “I’m trying to help you.” 

 

“I don’t need it,” she said. When he moved to grab her, Sakura darted away and dashed down an aisle. The man followed, confident that he could grab a troublesome girl, only to pause when he turned down the aisle and found her gone. Eyes narrowed, he prowled forward, searching for the little girl. 

 

On top of the bookcase, Sakura watched him walk by, her heart pounding at the situation. Not that she was afraid of him, Kisame was scarier than him, but there was that fear of being caught. What could happen if she’s caught. 

 

Just like Kisame had her learn, she dropped down quietly from the bookcase, eyes on the man’s back as she walked away from him slowly, keeping her presence masked. When she was at the end of the aisle, she darted away, focused on escaping. Unfortunately, her footsteps were loud and the man heard, quickly following. She grunted when she was grabbed from behind and lifted up. 

 

“Got you,” the man growled, his other hand coming up to properly hold her, “you little—”

 

_ “Sometimes your best last line of defense is your teeth. No one expects you to bite. No one.”  _

 

When his hand came come, Sakura went for it, biting down on that hand and earning a yelp from the man. She was dropped and off once again, earning a frustrated shout from behind. The hunter pursued her, slamming right into the pale chest of the Monster of the Hidden Mist. The hunter nin felted his whole being go cold as he stared up into the pale eyes of the missing nin, taking in that toothy smile.

 

“What’s this Squirt? Did you make a new friend to play with?” Kisame wondered, bits of blood scattered on him. 

 

Behind him, Sakura shot the man a dark look. “No,” she said, “he’s been grabby and mean.” 

 

“It's that so.” The hunter nin was grabbed, easily lifted up, his tip of boot barely scraping the ground. “How about you play with  _ me _ ?”

 

Kisame took the soon to be dead man away, telling Sakura to wait for him in the bookstore. Sakura did, reading up on her chosen books while she waited for Kisame to return. When he did, all the blood was gone, a satisfaction in his eyes. 

 

“Let’s go, Squirt,” he said, picking her up by the back of her shirt, setting her on his shoulders and heading to move out. 

 

“Wait!” she cried. “I didn’t pay for the books!”

 

He stopped, then turned and met the eyes of the scared owner. “We have to pay?”

 

“N-no, of, of course not. Those are free.” 

 

“I thought so.”

 

“I’ll pay you back later!” Sakura promised as they left. 


	7. Chapter 7

A content Kisame was a patient Kisame. At least, patient enough that he was willing to let Sakura do whatever while he relaxed. And at this moment, while he ate away at his meal, Sakura was practicing wrapping bandages around his wrist, using her book and the wrappings around his big sword for reference. 

 

Kisame only moved to critique. 

 

“You need to find that medium, Kid. Too tight cuts off blood flow, too loose and they’re going to die.” 

 

“You got to wrap it up like this else that’ll just come apart on you.” 

 

“Remember they need to be changed so the wounds stay clean.” 

 

Sakura made note of each suggestion, even writing it down on the side of the text as notes for the future. When Kisame was done with his meal, he tugged her practice bandages off, and got up to stretch, leaving Sakura to try and roll it up. She kept glancing over at the sword he carried, her curiosity piqued. 

 

“Does it have a boo boo?” she wondered, staring at the wrapped up weapon. 

 

“Samehade has a unique appearance,” Kisame explained, “it makes it an eyesore, so best to keep it wrapped up. I only unwrap it so it can eat.” 

 

Sakura’s eyes went big as she stared at the swords. She whispered, “It's alive?” 

 

“It has a conscious and needs to eat, so yeah.” 

 

Kisame walked off, running his claws through his hair, leaving Sakura alone with the wrapped up blade. She turned to it curiously, head tilted to the side. She crawled to it, sitting herself before it and tentatively reached out to put her little hand on the bandages. It surprised her to feel energy underneath her hand. It wasn’t quite alive, but she wouldn’t call it an object. She pushed more energy into it, exploring the use of her chakra. 

 

Samehade pushed back, the gesture almost playful. 

 

Sakura set another hand on the sword, ready to explore with her chakra, only to still when a voice was cleared behind her. Slowly, she leaned back, looking up at Kisame as he loomed over her. 

 

“What do you think you’re doing, Squirt?” Kisame asked. 

 

Sakura took her hands off the blade. “Nothing.” 

 

With a huff, Kisame reclaimed Samehade and walked off. Sakura quickly gathered up her books and ran after him, filling the air with questions about the living sword. Upon discovering that the sword was apart of a set, eagerly sought to learn about its “siblings”. 

 

Long before Sakura tired out of her questions, Kisame was tired by midday. 

  
  


When Kisame suddenly stopped, it took a second for Sakura to mirror him, looking up at the missing nin curiously. He didn’t breath a word, pale eyes gliding along the trees, searching for trouble she didn’t see. It left her curious and a little nervous. Whatever made Kisame nervous couldn’t be good, especially with how sharp his gaze was, brows furrowed. Kisame never got nervous. 

 

Yet, he was and it made her uneasy. She stood close to him, frowning as she sought for whatever was putting him on edge. Around them, only the wind moved, rustling up the leaves. As seconds ticked on, Sakura moved to whisper her question to Kisame, ask what it was he sensed. The answer came in two figures, coming out between the trees. Startled, Sakura hid behind Kisame’s leg, watching them with big eyes. 

 

One was a tall man with bright orange hair and metal on his face and strange purple eyes. The other a shorter woman, with pale blue hair and a flower weaved into a bun on top. Both of them wore black robes with red clouds on it and had neutral expressions, nothing to give whether they were a danger or not. Sakura blinked at them as the two spared her a glance, then turned their gaze to Kisame. 

 

His claws came around Samehada’s hilt, a low growl coming from the sword. From him, the air turned thick and heavy, and it took all of Sakura’s will to not back away from Kisame and the atmosphere coming from him. Despite the intense sensation in the air, the two seemed unbothered. 

 

“Monster of the Hidden Mist,” the man greeted, nodding to the missing nin. “We’ve been searching for you.”

 

“We expected you alone,” the woman added, her eyes going back to Sakura, looking curious and soft. 

 

“What do you want?” Kisame demanded. 

 

“Just to talk,, privately,” the man reassured. “No trouble to you or the girl.” When Kisame didn’t move, the man offered, “We can talk some place where you can see her. But she cannot hear what’s discussed.”  

 

Kisame didn’t move for a minute, eyeing the two of them. “What did you want to talk about?” 

 

“Changing the world for the better. A purpose.” 

 

There was a shift in Kisame, Sakura noticed it. She glanced up at the missing nin, watching his stance falter, a curious intrigue settling in his gaze. He looked down, meeting her big eyes. 

 

“We won’t hurt her at all,” the man promised. “Just here to talk.” 

 

Kisame let go of Samehada and gave a soft order, “Stay put.” He left Sakura’s side, heading for the two. Sakura stood for a moment, very weary to be left alone in the forest as Kisame joined the two’s side. A minute went by as they talked and she started to fidget. With pursed lips, she slowly started to edge closer to the group, curious to see what they were talking about and not liking being alone. 

 

She got noticed though, and the woman approached, stopping when Sakura backed away and Kisame glanced over. Aware of Sakura’s nervousness, the woman offered her a smile. She held out her hand, letting Sakura watch a flower come to life in her palm, made out of paper. It earned a gasp from the child, awed by the ability. 

 

“Do you want it?” the woman offered. 

 

Sakura looked up, surprised. “I can have it?” 

 

Her answer was a smile and placing the paper flower in her hands. Sakura held it delicately, afraid to damage the beautiful craft. 

 

“What are you doing with a missing nin?”

 

Sakura met the woman’s gaze, her tone sounding curious to Sakura, with maybe even a hint of concern. Sakura eyed her for a moment before answering, won over by the lovely gift, “I’m heading home.” 

 

All she got was a raised brow, but the woman didn’t ask anymore. Instead, she turned, watching the two talk, waiting. Sakura waited with her, till she got bored and opened up one of her books to read, being careful as she set the paper flower down. Minutes dragged on while Sakura waited, only half absorbed in her book, the other half was spent occasionally looking up to see if the two men were done talking yet.

 

She thinks its a good conversation. Kisame only looked unnerved once before it was replaced with an expression of intrigue, his eyes alight with a fire. She shifted, unsure if that was good or not. She wanted to say good, but the man was creepy. Who keeps metal on their face? Doesn’t it hurt? 

 

When the woman caught Sakura staring, she quickly went back to her book. 

 

“Where is home?” the woman asked. 

 

“Konoha,” Sakura answered, receiving a hum for a reply. 

 

“You’re not too far away.”

 

Sakura perked, blinking her big eyes up at the woman. “Really?” 

 

There was a small smile on the woman’s face, a promise in her eyes. “You’re very close. You’ll be home soon.” Sakura beamed, excited to see her parents again, to be back in the bustling village, to see Ino again. 

 

Sakura looked over when she caught sight of movement from the corner of her eye, seeing Kisame and the other man coming towards them, with Ksame making a bee line for her. Kisame crouched down beside her as the woman walked towards the metal faced man’s side, stating, “Alright, Squirt, change of plans. No more moseying along. You’re going home now.” 

 

Sakura gasped. “Really?” 

 

“Yeah. You think you can play scared damsel and draw attention to yourself.”

 

“Yeah, I think I can do that.” 

 

“Homewards then,” Kisame said, grabbing her and facing off. From over Kisame’s shoulder, Sakura watched as the two followed, keeping a distance but staying in sight. She wondered what was up with them, what they wanted with Ksame. She wondered if she would ever get an answer.  


	8. Chapter 8

Konoha was a few days away, but with Kisame running at high speed to the border, it didn’t take long to reach it. Soon the smells became familiar, the feel of the air, the warmth. It made Sakura twitchy in Kisame’s arms, excited and anxious. She was home. She was back. 

 

And her journey with Kisame was coming to an end. 

 

Kisame stopped for a moment, peering out, searching the trees. Sakura looked with him, brows furrowed when she didn’t see anyone. She looked back, not seeing the other two that were with them before. She wondered if they were truly alone, were they hiding? Was there someone Kisame could sense?

 

Kisame dropped down from the tree and set her on the ground, starting to walk. Sakura followed, holding her books close to her chest, the paper flower she got from the woman set in her hair. Silence laid on them like a cloud, weightless yet present, making her conscious of the quiet. She understand why, a missing nin heading for one of the hidden villages, Kisame had to tread carefully here on out. Because they were close, she was almost home. 

 

She whispered it aloud, a little awed by it. 

 

“Yep,” Kisame said softly. “Almost there, Squirt.” 

 

She hugged her books a little tighter, green eyes to the ground. “Thank you,” she mumbled, making him stop, sparing a pale eye at her from over his shoulder. “For helping me get home.” Then, playful, she added, “Even though you took your time.” 

 

He clacked his teeth and snorted. “You’re lucky you’re tolerable, Squirt.” 

 

She stuck her tongue out at his back, then sped up a little, coming to walk beside him. She reached up, taking two of his fingers to hold as they walked deeper into the woods. Kisame stopped them, crouching down to her level as best as he could. 

 

“There’s a shinobi ahead up there. And I bet they know I’m here too.” He gave her a toothy grin. “Luckily for me, they’ll be more focused on a kid wandering the woods. Or at least, one shinobi will care.”

 

Sakura nodded, hugging her books to peer at the direction Kisame pointed down. Her way home was there. She just needed to come across a shinobi. 

 

“What about you?” she wondered. 

 

“Going to join those two,” he said, jerking his head over. “And there, well, it's no place for a kid. Especially a squirt like you.” He ruffled her hair and stood, watching her lean her head back to watch him. “Stay safe, ok, Squirt? Get big and strong.”

 

She cracked a small smile. “I’ll see you as a kunoichi next time then?” 

 

Ideally no, it wouldn’t be great to come across each other then. Kisame felt uncomfortable at the thought of possibly facing her again as an enemy, and he’s not going to think about her growing up to join. But as she stared up at him with those imporing eyes, Kisame was unsure how to really answer her. 

 

He settled for cracking a small, wry smile. “Maybe.” 

 

Sakura beamed. Kisame quickly stood when Sakura neared, one arm open to hug him. She faltered as he towered over her and Kisame settled with ruffling her hair. “Live long, kid. Become a kickass kunoichi.” 

 

Before Sakura could reply, Kisame flared his chakra, making sure the shinobi in the distance will notice and come this way. With the hope they’ll end up focusing on the kid, he disappeared, leaving Sakura alone to stare after him. With a small frown, she turned and started to slowly walk in the direction Kisame pointed. 

 

Seconds dragged on as Sakura walked alone, no looming missing nin at her side, casting a shadow on her. She was unnerved with how quiet it was now, no more snark to exchange, or grumbles to answer her whenever she asked a question. It was weird after a near week of traveling with him. Part of her still expected to see him when she glanced back, just one last sight of his pale figure among the trees with his large wrapped up sword. 

 

Of course he wasn’t there. Nowhere to be seen and probably long gone already. She stops for a moment, shoulders sagging a little. She can admit that she’ll miss it. The journey, the company. It brought a new outlook to missing nin that Sakura hadn’t considered before, thinking of all the horror stories that were shared. Not that some of them couldn’t be true, but her time with Kisame offered a little more complexity, made them a little more human. 

 

Sakura adjusted her books, looking around for the shinobi, wondering where they were. Did they run past her? Were they on Kisame’s tail? 

 

She puffed her cheeks out at the thought. So close to home and yet, so possibly far. 

 

Determined, she sped up her pace, moving around the trees with practiced skill, her steps silent and light. She thought about seeing her home again. Thought about seeing her parents again, to feel their arms wrap around her, blanket her in warmth and the smell of cinnamon and home. She was ready to be home. Ready to be where she belonged. 

 

She’ll miss the journey and the company, but home was where her heart was, and she was close. Oh so close. 

 

Her want pulled her along till Sakura was running to keep up, no longer caring if she was being loud in her rush. She was going to get there as soon as possible. 

 

In her rush, she ran right into the shinobi as he landed down in front of her, ramming right into his chest and sending her to the forest floor. The shinobi didn’t breathe a word or move as Sakura sat up, blinking in surprise, her books laying around her.  

 

“What that chakra signature you?” the shinobi asked, his tone suggesting that he didn’t think so. Sakura shook her head, brows furrowing as she stared at the white dog-like mask looking down at her, a stock of silver hair sticking out around it. The shinobi made a bored hum, standing up to look past her, looking like he was debating with himself. 

 

“Can you take me home?” Sakura asked aloud, drawing that mask back down to eye her. 

 

“What are you doing out here so far from the wall anyway?” the shinobi asked. 

 

“I got lost,” Sakura answered, picking up her books. “There were bad men that I got away.” 

 

Another hum. “Do you have family here?” 

 

“I’m Sakura Haruno. Civilian district.” 

 

“Haruno,” the shinobi repeated, testing the name, trying to recall if that’s anyone he knew. In truth, the name didn’t quite ring a bell, but finding her family should be easy enough. He walked past the girl, ignoring her startled gaze. He bid, “Wait here. There’s something I want to check out first. I’ll only be gone for a few minutes.” He was gone in a flicker, leaving a leaf to float down from where he stood. 

 

Sakura stared at that space for a moment, then huffed in annoyance. She turned, eyeing the trees around her, considering just walking ahead and moving along. There was a good chance that the shinobi would find her easily enough. And she would be closer to home. Few minutes closer to home. 

 

But, she settled with waiting as she was asked. It would work in her favor more to do so, though she’ll do so grumpily. She just wanted him to take her home already. But a few minutes. She could wait a few minutes. 

 

Only those few minutes turned into ten. And it was on the way of becoming twenty when the shinobi finally appeared beside her with a soft, “Hey.” 

 

Sakura jumped to her feet, giving him a scolding pointed finger as she declared, “That was not a few minutes!” 

 

“Ah,” was all the shinobi could utter as Sakura flew off into a lecture about how rude it was to make people wait and not keep your word. 

 

It took a few more minutes before Sakura was truly escorted home. 


End file.
